Motor construction



May 18, 1937. J. B. VAN HORN ET AL MOTOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 15

AMM-4 Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES MOTOR CONSTRUCTION Junius B. Van Horn, Alhambra, and Edmond M.

Wagner, South Gate,

Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Byron Jackson Co., Huntington Park, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application February 15, 1936, serial No. 64,060

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to a dynamo-electric machine, and more particularly to a dynamo-electric machine construction in which increased eiliciency is attained by reducing eddy current and other losses therein and maintaining a relatively cool stator by a cooling system.

Although our invention has many applications in the dynamo-electric machine art, it is of particular utility in a submersible motor pump unit adapted to be submersed in a liquid to be pumped, and we will therefore describe our invention in connection with such a unit, although we do not intend to be limited to such a use of the invention.

5 In its preferred embodiment, the invention is utilized in an electric motor used in conjunction with a deep well turbine pump. When used in this capacity, the motor and pump are connected together as an integral unit and lowered into a 20 well from which liquid is to be pumped. Due to the small diameter of the average well in which our invention inds its primary use, it is important. that the motor have a small diameter, and that the construction thereof be as compact as 25 possible to permit its use in such a well. In our invention compactness is attained as described hereinafter. Y

In the motor construction commonly used in the art for submersible motor pump units, the 30 stator is housed in a sealed shell so that the periphery of the stator laminations directly contacts the shell. Such stator shells are ordinarily made of steel or other magnetic metal in two semi-cylindrical pieces which are welded together 35 so as to enclose the stator of the motor. In the welding of such a sectional stator shell, a portion at least of the weld may form a bond with the stator laminations. During electrical operation of the motor, eddy currents are set up in the 40 shell by a leakage of magnetic flux from the pole fields into the sbg, which materially reduce the efiiciency of the motor, `and Ahysteresis losses are high. Such a motor construction is clearly shown .in the patent to Mendenhall, et al., No. 2,002,915, issued May 28, 1935. We have also found that in the ordinary motor construction such as just described, where the stator shell is welded directly to the stator laminations, a hot spot may be created in the motor at the point of the weld, which under operating conditions may damage the stator windings, which is an undesirable feature.

It is therefore a primary object of our invention to increase the efficiency of an electric motor by reducing eddy current and other losses in the stator shell during normal operation of the device. Thls may be accomplished in a variety of ways, but We prefer to do it by providing a nonmagnetic spacing means between the external periphery of the stator laminations andl the stator shell, and the provision thereof is an object 'of the invention, This non-magnetic spacing means may be a sheath of non-magnetic material, or a gap may be formed between the stator laminations and the shell, both constructions materially reducing eddy currents and hysteresis in the shell and increasing the efciency of the motor insome cases at least by limiting the leakage of magnetic field into the shell.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a dynamo-electric machine having a stator enclosed in a stator shell, invwhich the stator shell is spaced from the external periphery of the stator laminations so as to form a cooling `space therebetween. In this construction, excess heat in the stator laminations may be readily convfyed away from the stator to keep the stator relatively cool and to increase the emciency of the motor.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a dynamo-electric machine having a stator shell and a stator therein with non-magnetic means therebetween such that when the machine is operated, the reluctance across the gap between the stator and the shell will be high relative to the reluctance along a line of force in the stator laminations.

Another object of our invention is to provide spacing means between the stator and the stator shell of a dynamo-electric machine which has a high electrical resistance so as to reduce eddy current and other losses caused by lines of force in the spacing means during operation of the machine.

We have found that where a sectional stator shell is used in motor construction and the sections welded together during assembly, the weld will often burn through the non-magnetic spacer positioned between the shell and the stator laminations so as to Weld the shell directly to the laminations. The weld, in such cases, provides a magnetic path between the stator shell and the stator which permits a leakage of magnetic flux directly into the stator shell to cause objectionable eddy currents and hysteresis in the shell. To obviate this difficulty, we prefer to use a welding material which will produce a nonmagnetic weld, for example, stainless steel, which, accordingly, is a further object of our invention. It is preferable, although not essential that the welding material be the same as the material of which the non-magnetic spacer is formed, so that any mixture of welding and spacer material formed during the welding will not forma magnetic path through the weld into the stator shell or be detrimental to the strength of the weld. By welding" we intend to include any method of joining two metal surfaces together by means of heat, such as, for example, welding or brazing.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a dynamo-electric machine having a welded stator shell spaced from the stator thereof in which the welding material is non-magnetic, so that if the welding material forms a bond between the shell and the stator, the transmission of magnetic iiux to the shell through the weld will be maintained at a minimum.

Our invention also includes a dynamo-electric machine having a stator and a stator shell separated by a relatively thin non-magnetic spacer means interposed between the stator and the shell so as to decrease eddy current and other losses in the shell, and, accordingly, this is another object of the invention. The non-magnetic spacer may be a separate element, or it may be formed integrally with either the stator shell or the stator laminations, for example, by spraying a thin coating of stainless steel on the internal surface of the shell or on the external periphery of the stator laminations. Where the integral construction is utilized, the stator shell may be assembled in contact with the stator laminations.

Instead of providing a circulatory cooling system as described above, it is preferable in some cases to conduct the heat generated by the dynamo-electric machine directly through the spacer element and the stator shell to the exterior thereof, and, accordingly, it is a further object of our invention to provide such a machine having a spacer element formed of material having a high heat conductivity, such as, for example, stainless steel.

Another object of our invention is to supply a dynamo-electric machine having a stator shell separated from the stator thereof by means of a spacer element formed of non-magnetic material having a high heat conductivity.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparenty from the following description and the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of the invention in a housing adapted to be connected to a, deep well turbine pump.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, of an alternative form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative form of the invention, in which a plurality of spacers are utilized to provide an air gap between the stator and the stator shell.

Referring to Fig. 1, we show a motor unit I adapted to actuate a pumping unit (not shown) when submerged in a fluid to be pumped from a well. The motor unit I0 includes a motor casing means I I, which may be of any suitable form, but we prefer to utilize a sectional casing including a cylindrical casing I2, a bottom wall I3 closing the lower end of the cylindrical casing, an auxiliary shell i4, a top wall I5, and a head member or wall I6 joining the cylindrical casing I2 and the auxiliary shell |4. With this construction the auxiliary shell I4 is preferably of smaller diameter than the cylindrical casing I2 and is welded or otherwise secured at opposite ends to the top wall I5 and the head member I6. It will be understood, however, that the motor casing EI may be made unitary rather than in sections, as described, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The top wall I5 and the auxiliary vshell ,I4 dene a seal chamber I8 containing a seal I 9 adapted to seal a motor shaft 2U where it passes through the top wall I5 of the motor casing This seal may be of any type which will effectively seal this junction so as to prevent admixture of fluid in the motor casing with fluid external thereto and surrounding the motor shaft 20 where it passes through the top wall I5. It is usually desirable to completely fill the upper end of the motor casing with a neutral liquid, such as oil having relatively good dielectric properties which may lubricate the working parts of the motor unit and provide an eiiicient cooling means therefor, and if the motor unit I0 is used in pumping a water Well, it is essential that the water which may surround the shaft 20 external to the motor unit does not enter the interior of the motor shell so as to come in contact with the electrical apparatus therein. A fluid packed seal has been found to serve this purpose most eifectively, and one' type of such seal is disclosed in Fig. l.

In the form shown, the seal I9 provides a cup 2| secured in fluid-tight relationship with the shaft 20 so as to rotate therewith. This cup 2| retains a body of sealing liquid such as mercury. A baiile 22 extends into the cup 2| and below the surface of the sealing liquid, and a cap 23 extends across the upper end of the cup 2| and the baiiie, terminating short of the baille to provide an annular space 24 through which neutral liquid may enter that portion of the cup 2| which lies outside the baffle 22, this neutral liquid contacting the surface of the sealing liquid in the outer portion of the cup. The baille 22 is of larger diameter than the shaft 20 to provide a conical space 25 therebetween. The upper end of the baiile 22 is secured in fluid-tight relationship with the top wall I5 and extends into an annular groove 26 therein.

A motor 30, preferably of the squirrel-cage induction type, is positioned in a motor chamber 3| by a structure now to be described. As shown in Fig. l, the head member I6 includes a flange 32 contacted by a. bearing plate 33 carrying a bearing 34, preferably of the ball or roller type, which journals the shaft 20. Depending from the bearing plate 33 is an upper baiiie 35 of smaller diameter than the cylindrical casing 2 so as to provide a cooling space 36 therebetween. The head member I6 has circulation openings 21 therethrough communicating with the space 36 and the seal chamber I8, and the bearing plate 33 has circulation openings 28 therethrough communicating between the seal chamber and the motor chamber 3|, for a purpose to be described hereinafter. 'I'he motor 30 includes a rotor 38 and a stator 39, the stator including a plurality of laminations 40 clamped together between upper and lower rings 4| and 42, respectively, the laminations being separated from the rings by means of non-magnetic gaskets 4|a and 42a, the rings being in turn secured to a stator shell or casing 43 which surrounds the laminations but which has an internal diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the laminations, and which has an external diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the cylindrical casing I2.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. l, we prefer to include spacer means between the stator shell 43 and the stator laminations 4D, formed of nonmagnetic material so as to materially reduce any eddy currents which might otherwise be set up in the stator shell during normal operation of the motor. As best shown in Fig. 2, this spacer means is provided in the form of a one-piece spacer element or sheath 45 which ts closely over the stator laminations and over which the stator shell 43 is positioned so as to hold the stator shell concentric with the stator laminations. In assembly the spacer element 45 is bent around the laminations 40 so that the ends 46 and 41 thereof are spaced slightly apart when the spacer is in position enclosing the stator laminations, and no attempt is made to secure the ends together. The spacer element 45 is formed of non-magnetic material, such as, for example, stainless steel, mica, copper, brass, or

' other non-magnetic material, and is of relativelythin construction. The non-magnetic gaskets 4Ia and 42a are preferably formed of the same non-magnetic material as the spacer element 45, and serve to prevent eddy currents from being set up in the upper and lower end rings 4I and 42. The thickness of the spacer element 45 depends in any particular installation upon the density at which the iron in the motor is being worked, and should be great relative to the equivalent air gap of the path of the magnetic lines of force in the stator core, and is usually on the order of three to five times that of the equivalent air gap of the stator core. shown in Fig. l and with the motors that we use commercially, best results are attained by utilizing a spacer element having a thickness of between 0.015 and 0.020 of an inch. It is to be understood, however, that this specific thickness of the spacer element is merely illustrative, and

that lesser working densities may permit the use of a somewhat thinner spacer element. The use of a thin spacer element as described provides a very compact motor unit, which is required Where the motor unit is to be submersed in a smalldiameter well, and thisis an important feature of the invention. Itis also to be noted that where we use the term "magnetic insulator" or the like, we intend a means which materially reduces the i'lowof magnetic flux from the stator of the motor to the surrounding structure.

As best illustrated lin Fig. 2, the stator shell 43 is preferably formed in two semi-cylindrical sections and 5I welded together as at 52 and 53 so as to rigidly enclose the spacer element 45. This construction of the stator shell 43 is provided merely for convenience in assembling the motor unit and for rigidity of construction. and it is to be understood that the stator shell 43 may be made in one section or a plurality of sections without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the forms shown, the stator shell 43 is made of relatively heavy construction as compared with the spacer element 45. By using the spacing element 45 formed of nonmagnetic material as described, eddy current and other losses in the stator shell are substantially reduced, and we have found that by the use .of such a spacer means the reluctance across the space between the stator laminations 40' and the stator shell 43 is high relative to the reluctance along a line of force in the stator laminations, and that the efficiency of the motor 30 is increased in some cases at least 5% by our construction, which materially reduces the cost of operation of the motor unit. Eddy currents in the spacer 45 are prevented by making the spacer of a material having a high electrical resistance. Use of a lnon-inflammable spacer element is also desirable so that in the event of In the preferred construction' the motor burning out during operation the spacer element will not be destroyed.

It is also important in some installations to provide means for readily cooling the motor unit by transferring a large part of the heat generated therein directly through the stator shell. Since the spacer element 45 naturally tends to impede this heat transfer, it is an important feature of our invention to provide a spacer element as described but formed of material having a high heat conductivity so that a large part of the heat generated in the stator may be readily conducted through the spacer and to the stator shell. We have found that stainless steel is a good material for this purpose. For most eflicient cooling, we prefer to assemble the device with a close contact between the spacer element 45 and both the laminations 40 and the stator shell 43. By using a spacer element formed of material having a high electrical resistance we materially limit eddy currents flowing between stator laminations.

The stator 39 of the motor 30 is provided with a winding 55 which includes exposed portions 5S extending from the laminations of the stator in the usual manner. The lower end of the baille 35 extends downwardly in the space between the exposed portions 56 and the cylindrical casing I2 and contacts the ring 4I. A plurality of studs 51 are threaded into the ring 4| and extend upwardly inside the baie 35 and through 'the bearing plate 33 and the flange 32, a nut 58 serving to clamp these members as ay unit so that the stator 39 is suspended from the head member I6.

At the lower end of the stator 39 is positioned a similar bale 60 having an opening 60a therethrough, which extends into the space between the lower exposed portions 56 of the stator winding 55 and the cylindrical casing I2 to contact the ring 42. A lower bearing plate 6I is secured to the lower end of the baflle 60, and this bearing plate and the baille are clamped to the lower ring 42 by a plurality of studs 62 similar to the studs 51. The bearing plate 6I carries a thrust bearing 63, which is preferably of the roller or ball type, receiving the end of the shaft 20.

Welded or otherwise secured to the lower bearing plate 6I is a perforated member 64 providing openings therethrough and carrying a lower wall 66 thereon. The wall 66 is of slightly smaller diameter than the cylindrical casing I2 so that free communication is provided between the spaces above and below the wall. The upper end of a stud 61 is threadedly received in the wall 66 and extends downwardly through an opening 68 in the bottom wall I3. The lower end of the stud 61 is also threaded to receive a nut 69 which engages the exterior .of the bottom wall I3 in fluid-tight relation. The bottom Wall I3 is provided with a drain plug 69a threadedly received therein and which may be removed to drain the shell II.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that the operating parts of the motor 30 are suspended from the head memberl I6 and do not rely on the cylindrical casing I2 to retain them in correct relation. Thus, a motor frame is formed which is supported independently of the cylindrical casing I2 and which is comprised of the members 33, 34, 35, 4I, 43, 42, G0, 6I, 63, 64, and 66. After the motor frame is secured in place to the head member I6, the cylindrical casing I2 can be slid upwardly around the motor until it engages the head member I6. A

huid-tight joint is formed between the cylindrical casing l2 and the head member i6 by a packing ring i@ held between an annular lip H formed on the head member and a ring 'l2 seating in a. counterbore 'f3 formed in the casing. As the casing i2 is moved upwardly relative to the head member i6, the packing ring 'l is compressed, such upward movement of the shell being accomplished by turning the nut 69 by means of a Wrench applied thereto.

Electric current is supplied to the motor 30 by means of conductors 'i4 enclosed in a waterproof tubing l5 leading to a source of electricity. The motor unit lil is designed so that it may be attached to a deep well turbine pump unit of standard design (not shown) so that the shaft 2l] actuates the pumping mechanism thereof.

During operation of the motor unit I0, as shown in Figs. l and 2, a circulation of neutral fluid, such as lubricating oil, is set up therein which assists in cooling the motor 3G. This cooling circulation is set up by convection currents in the fiuid and by rotation of the shaft 20 and bearings 3d and S3, the fluid circulating through the bearings, the circulation openings 21, 28, SDa, and B5, and through the cooling space 36, to dissipate the heat generated by the motor.

Figs. 3 and 4 show an alternative form of spacer means, in which an air gap is utilized between the stator laminations and the stator shell. In this form of our invention, a fiuted stator shell "u8 is utilized so as to provide a plurality of longitudinal spaces or channels i9 around the periphery of the stator laminations and which communicate through openings Si in the end ring dit) and openings 82 in the top gasket 33 with the upper end of the motor chamber. The channels lil likewise communicate through openings dit in the end ring llb and openings in the bottom gasket d6 with the lower end of the motor chamber. The shell l is preferably spaced from the stator laminations Sil by means of a plurality of beads Bl formed of non-magnetic material on the stator laminations and which contact the inner surfaces 88 of the fiuted shell, and to which the stator shell may be welded or otherwise secured. The channels or spaces 719 act as non-magnetic spacer means between the laminations 8d and the stator shell 718, and also provide channels through which neutral fluid in the motor charnber may be circulated to cool the exterior of the stator. We have found that in some installations where space requirements permit, this type of construction will provide adequate cooling for the motor and will keep eddy current and other losses in the shell at a minimum. It is to be understood that the stator construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is intended to be substituted for the stator construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as one embodiment of the invention.

Another alternative form of stator construction is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which stator laminations 80 are spaced from the stator shell 9| by means of non-magnetic spacer elements 92 positioned substantially equidistant around the periphery of the laminations to provide annular spaces 93 between the stator shell and the laminations. The spacer elements 92 are preferably formed of strips of non-magnetic material which is similar to the material used for the spacer element 45 of Fig. 1, and of sufficient length to extend the full length of the stator, although any convenient form of spacer element may be substituted for this construction. The spaces 93 act as a non-magnetic spacer means to reduce eddy currents which would otherwise be set up in the stator shell 9i during operation of the motor unit. In this form of our device, the stator shell 9i is made in one piece, and the laminations Sil are stacked therein. It is intended that the construction shown in Fig. 5 may be substituted for the stator shell 18 and beads 81 shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that the spaces 93 may communicate through the openings 8l, 82, 84, and 85 in the end rings Mb and 42h to provide a circulatory cooling system for cooling the motor, similar to that described in connection with Figs. 3 and 4.

Although we have shown the preferred embodiment of our invention as used in connection with a submersible motor-pump unit, together with alternative forms of spacing means therefor, it will be understood that the invention has other applications in the dynamo-electric machine art, and we do not intend to be limited to the embodiments shown but should be accorded the full scope of the following claims.

We claim as our invention:

l. In a dynamo-electric machine, the combination of: a stator having a magnetic body and providing a rotor opening; a rotor in said rotor opening; a shaft fixed to said rotor; bearing means adapted to rotatably support said shaft; a non-magnetic sheath element substantially enclosing said magnetic body, said element being formed of material having a high heat conduc tivity; and a shell enclosing said sheath element and secured relative thereto.

2. In a dynamo-electric machine, the combination of: a stator having a magnetic body and providing a rotor opening; a rotor in said rotor opening; a shaft fixed to said rotor; bearing means adapted to rotatably support said shaft; a non-magnetic sheath element substantially enclosing said magnetic body, said element being formed of material having a high heat conductivity and having a high electrical resistance; and a shell enclosing said sheath element and secured relative thereto.

3. In a dynamo-electric machine, the combination of: a stator having a magnetic body and providing a rotor opening; a rotor in said rotor opening; a shaft iixed to said rotor; bearing means adapted to rotatably support said shaft; a non-magnetic sheath element substantially enclosing said magnetic body, said element being formed of material having a high heat conductivity,` and said sheath element being in close contact with the external periphery of said stator; and a shell enclosing said sheath element and secured relative thereto, said shell being in close contact with said sheath.

4. In a dynamo-electric machine, the combination of: a stator having a magnetic body and providing a rotor opening; a rotor in said rotor opening; a shaft iixed to said rotor; bearing means adapted to rotatably support said shaft; and a non-magnetic metal sheath element substantially enclosing said stator so as to magnetically insulate said magnetic body.

JUNIUS B. VAN HORN. EDMOND M. WAGNER. 

